Ranking best NFL coaching hires, plus Seahawks optimism - ESPN

Week 11 is in the books!

It was a marquee week for benchings. Bills receiver Keon Coleman was a healthy scratch for his tardiness to meetings, Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter sat for a drive after missing a walkthrough, and Cowboys receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens sat out the first series Monday after "missing some things," according to the team. It was also a marquee week for last-second, winning plays, if you're into that. I prefer performative benchings.

Every Tuesday, I'll spin the previous week of NFL action forward, looking at what the biggest storylines mean and what comes next. We'll seek measured reactions to everyone's overreactions, celebrate the exciting stuff that nobody is appreciating and highlight what you might have missed Sunday and Monday. There will be film. There will be stats (a whole section of them). And there will be fun.

Jump to a section:
Big Thing: Ranking top coaching hires
Second Take: The Seahawks are still legit
Mailbag: Answering questions from… you
Next Ben Stats: Wild Week 11 stats

Every week, this column will kick off with one wide look at a key game, player or trend from the previous slate of NFL action. What does it mean for the rest of the season? This week, we're looking at how some of the NFL's new coaches are faring after 11 weeks.

Three of the seven 2025 head coaching hires have their teams in playoff position (do not ask about the other four). Two — Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson — are leading their divisions! And those aren't easy divisions.

In January and February, every new head coach preaches patience while his fan base dreams of Year 1 ascension. The wheat and the chaff have separated in the 2025 class, as Vrabel, Johnson and Liam Coen have brought their respective